P3D v4 Ground poly is flickering.

[Pyscen]

My understanding is that the Z-Bias Level (based on negative numbers) only applies to P3D v4.4 and later. Meaning that it does not apply to previous versions.

 

[GaryGB]

AFAIK, Arno stated MCX began supporting Z-Bias Level as a P3D SDK Material Functionality feature in July 2016 when P3Dv.2x was "FSvNext".

GaryGB

 

[jtanabodee]

I have cut ground poly manually then saved the ground poly to be P3dv4.4 mdl, compile it through bglcomp, got bgl to use. I did this to bypass GPW.
Then I use the same mdl file to pass through GPW.

Yep. Confirm that GPW has the bgl file that cause flickering.

The same bgl file through bglcomp.exe, no flickering.
The same PBR material. Got out the same both methods. PBR is not an issue. I might set up the base color wrong.

Zbias is not an issue either. I have made -ve value and +ve value, they act the same. However +ve has lower priority than -ve.

I think I need to cut ground poly manually and use bglcomp.exe before the problem of GPW has been solved.

I use bgl.comp with -ve zbias. The bgl I got show higher priority than bgl.comp bgl file that has +ve zbias.
Funny that I use GPW with -ve zbias. It come out bgl file from GPW has lower priority than bgl.comp bgl file that has +ve zbias. Crazy, isn't it?

The method that has less flickering is; to raise the ground poly 0.02 m (2 cm), cut polygon to 100x100 meter. Then export as mdl, then round world correction in MCX and export as P3Dv4.mdl. Use XML with no autogen suppression and no crash.

Conclusion, I have got more grey hair now.

 

[GaryGB]

Looks like you did a thorough analysis, Tic ...good work.

I believe this info will prove helpful to Arno when he gets some time to take a look at how GPW is currently functioning.


FS Development may soon compel quite a few of us to join Bill Ortis' / LionHeart Creations' "Elite Cadre of the Gray Eye Brows"

GaryGB

 

[Shaun]

I have just noticed that my ground poly is flickering also.
I noticed in another thread it was after P3D crashed, I only noticed it after the same thing.

So you're saying set the z layers, then just place as a model 2cm above ground level? I'll see if that works! This is p3dv5 btw.

 

[Shaun]

I set the z-bias to -16, -8, -4, earth curve correction and placed at 0.03 yet I get a bad flickering at distance. I have not had this issue before.
I think perhaps it's because the airport is at 1207m? Does the earth curve correction brake down at higher altitudes?

 

[Shaun]

The flickering was mostly at night. I worked out it was the base airport material showing through. Nothing on the GPoly side helped it.
I had to untick draw surface and draw detail on all of the asphalt and taxiways, and make the runway transparent.
Unfortunately, sometimes these little critters are popping through still. I tried adding the extra node to stop this joining bit of taxiway, but it still displays, despite the runway being transparent and not actually shown in ADE. Annoying!

 

[tgibson]

There are many reports of GP flickering in P3Dv5, so you are not alone.

 

[GaryGB]

Hello:

I know Don Grovestine (aka "gadgets") was very thorough in his work, especially on the GP_Editor for ADE.

But I am curious as to whether anyone may have done a comparison to discern any behavioral difference in a G-Poly exported via Arno's Ground Polygon Wizard compared to a GP exported via GP_Editor for ADE ...considering this discussion with Arno ? :

https://www.fsdeveloper.com/forum/threads/ground-poly-is-flickering.453543/

IIUC, MCX GPW was updated to accommodate the quirks of P3Dv5 as much as it was for P3Dv1-4, and FS2Kx.

GaryGB

 

[Shaun]

Hi rosdvd,
I found it finally. The problem is what you said. I need to raise ground poly 0.1 cm and the flickering problem went away. It does not cause by Zbias value either. I also found that GPW has some problem with PBR material. When using GPW, somehow it alter the PBR material to be darker.

Hi!
Did you mean you raised it in blender or max by 1cm, or the altitude using mcx? Thank you!

 

[jtanabodee]

Yes and no too.
P3Dv4 use -ve Z bias.
But when change to P3D material, you need Zbias +ve (AFSIK).
This is the reason I quit doing airport for a while. It is too much complicated and waste the time of my life which is shorter every minute.
They change too often and there are too many Sim out there.
I need a break!

 

[Shaun]

In v4 I had no issue with using the MCX GPW, v5 I was getting flickering only at certain angles and mostly at night, of the default apron and runways flickering through some parts. I made the whole lot of aprons, taxiways and runways no draw and invisible, boosted the airport up 1cm in blender, and used MCX GPW and it seems to have fixed the issue!

Yes there are a few sims out now, but learning to make 1 airport and porting them could be good.